License center loses revenue in pandemic

License fee revenues in Rock County dropped in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The licensing center in the Rock County Courthouse in 2020 received $98,674, “... which is significantly lower than in 2019,” said auditor-treasurer Ashley Kurtz.
In 2019 the fees for motor vehicle, drivers, sporting and recreational vehicle licenses generated $123,003, the highest amount during the last five years.
Collected fees are used by the licensing center for office operations, mainly staff time.
To curb the spread of COVID-19, the licensing center was closed from March 29, 2020, through May 15, 2020. Since then, the license center has operated by online appointment only.
Kurtz said during the same seven-week period in 2019, the center collected fees of $18,026. Factored into 2020, the extra seven weeks could have put the 2020 fee revenues at $116,700.
Fees are only collected by the local center for licensing transactions completed at the courthouse. The local center doesn’t receive any fees if licensing transactions are completed online directly with the state or at different licensing center.
Centers receive $6 to $10 per transaction for motor vehicles and $8 for each driver’s license.
Rock County in 2020 received $77,665 for motor vehicle transactions, $19,010 for licenses and $2,000 for sporting, low-power and unconventional vehicle licenses combined.
Wheelage tax, however, is not dependent on where the licensee completes the transaction. The $10 wheelage tax is automatically distributed to the licensee’s home county for use for road and bridge repairs.
In 2020 Rock County received $105,174 that is used for road and bridge repairs. That amount was $113,819 in 2019.